Claas Brieler has been digging for records in Berlin since he first arrived in the city from his native Hamburg in 1993. Even before his move, he had been collecting, having now amassed 15000 EPs, albums, singles and more since his early teens. Today, approaching 50, his enthusiasm for music remains unabated. A founding member of the city’s Jazzanova collective, he was also one of the heads behind Solar Kollectiv, a label that somewhat defined Berlin in the nineties, and among the first outlets for many producers who have since become definitive in their own right; Dixon, Ame and Ben Klock all benefited from Brieler’s encyclopaedic knowledge and undistilled enthusiasm. Brieler has a keen ear not only for raw talent and experimentation, but also, for the undefinable elements of soul and character that inform timeless music. Despite the breadth of his collection, Brieler is far from a completist, but you’d struggle to find another DJ with such eclectic taste.